Aizawl, A home department official said the Mizoram government is awaiting instructions from the Center to start biometric enrollment for over 33,000 Myanmar refugees in the northeastern state.
The official said that the new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared.
"We are waiting for instructions from the Centre. As soon as we get the instructions, we will start the process of collecting biometric data of Myanmar citizens," the official said.
Earlier, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that the biometric enrollment portal for data collection exists and will be used in the near future.
In April last year, the Union Home Ministry had directed Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to take biometric and biographical details of "illegal immigrants" in their states.In June last year, it directed the states to complete the campaign by the end of September and directed both to prepare a plan and start the process.
Although the Mizoram government had initially acted on the Centre's directive by conducting training and appointing nodal officers, the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in September last year had decided not to conduct biometric and biographical enrollment for refugees from Myanmar because It is not advisable to do biometric and biometric enrolment. The preparation of the biography coincided with the state assembly elections to be held in November that year.
Lalduhoma said citizens of Myanmar and Bangladesh who had taken refuge in the state feared deportation due to the Centre's directive to collect biometric data from them.
The chief minister said that during his meeting with Shah in January, Shah had assured him that no refugee would be deported until peace was restored in the neighboring countries.According to the state home department, a total of 33,835 Myanmar nationals, including 12,901 children, are currently taking refuge in different parts of the state, with Champhai district having the highest number of 14,212 Myanmar refugees.
It said at least 10,552 people live in 111 relief camps spread across six districts, while another 9,269 live with relatives or friends outside the relief camps as well as in rented houses.
It said more than 1,800 Bangladeshi nationals were also taking shelter in Longtlai district in southern Mizoram.
Besides, around 8,000 internally displaced people from Mizoram are also currently taking shelter in Mizoram, the Home Department said.
The official said that the new biometric enrollment portal has already been prepared.
"We are waiting for instructions from the Centre. As soon as we get the instructions, we will start the process of collecting biometric data of Myanmar citizens," the official said.
Earlier, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that the biometric enrollment portal for data collection exists and will be used in the near future.
In April last year, the Union Home Ministry had directed Mizoram and Manipur, which share borders with Myanmar, to take biometric and biographical details of "illegal immigrants" in their states.In June last year, it directed the states to complete the campaign by the end of September and directed both to prepare a plan and start the process.
Although the Mizoram government had initially acted on the Centre's directive by conducting training and appointing nodal officers, the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in September last year had decided not to conduct biometric and biographical enrollment for refugees from Myanmar because It is not advisable to do biometric and biometric enrolment. The preparation of the biography coincided with the state assembly elections to be held in November that year.
Lalduhoma said citizens of Myanmar and Bangladesh who had taken refuge in the state feared deportation due to the Centre's directive to collect biometric data from them.
The chief minister said that during his meeting with Shah in January, Shah had assured him that no refugee would be deported until peace was restored in the neighboring countries.According to the state home department, a total of 33,835 Myanmar nationals, including 12,901 children, are currently taking refuge in different parts of the state, with Champhai district having the highest number of 14,212 Myanmar refugees.
It said at least 10,552 people live in 111 relief camps spread across six districts, while another 9,269 live with relatives or friends outside the relief camps as well as in rented houses.
It said more than 1,800 Bangladeshi nationals were also taking shelter in Longtlai district in southern Mizoram.
Besides, around 8,000 internally displaced people from Mizoram are also currently taking shelter in Mizoram, the Home Department said.
